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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The Gamecocks were the comeback kids in the NCAA Tournament needing three come from behind wins in their Regional and needing four straight wins to even reach the College World Series finals after dropping their opening game to Oklahoma.

Once in the finals, South Carolina swept UCLA including the 2-1 series clincher in 11 innings.

To make it even sweeter for Gamecocks fans, they knocked out Clemson by winning two straight sending the Tigers home in the last College World Series to be played at Rosenblatt Stadium.

This South Carolina program is no 'Johnny Come Lately' in college baseball. They had been runner up three times in Omaha and from 2000-2004 won more games than any other program.

My friends at The College Baseball Blog have a full writeup on the gameincluding some poignant quotes from South Carolina Head Coach Ray Tanner

Garnet and Black Attack tries to wrap their head around what this means for South Carolina, including a Chicken Curse poll!

UGAAJ Green wants to return kicks, but will Richt let him?Basketball coach Mark Fox gives walk-on Connor Nolte a scholarship. And it just so happens is brother Evan is a top recruit for 2012. Finebaum continues his tongue lashing of Mark RichtSenator Blutarsky says the ghost of Jon Fabris still haunts AthensAbout Them Dawgs takes a look at a forgotten rival for UGAGeorgia TechDoug Roberson of the AJC continues his look at different positions, this time its LinebackersAthletic Director Dan Radakovich gets a new contract (with terms listed)An update of Former AD Homer RiceTennessee 2010 Basketball Player of the Year eliminates Georgia Tech from consideration.Bill Simmons has some not so kind words about Paul Hewitt in his NBA Draft DiaryGeorgia Tech had the second most productive pipeline to the pros this yearHeather Dinich remembers a famous tie in Georgia Tech historySECThe Nick Saban statue is behind schedule. Doubt it would be if Nick Saban was running the show on the Nick Saban statue.A preseason ranking that Ole Miss fans will not like.Analyzing SEC Strength Coaches. Bet you can't name two. ACCTomahawk Nation has a fantastic piece up about the relation of top defenses and size in the front seven. If you click on just one link today, click on this one.ESPN's Heather Dinich measures up how the ACC will fare against the SEC this seasonAbove the Rim is already previewing Duke's run to another national title

Backing the Pack posted this from NCAA Fanhouse listing each schools football expenses for 2008-2009. Most surprising in the ACC is Duke coming in at #8 with $15.74 Million, more than UNC, Maryland, Wake Forest and NC State.

This is a little late getting up considering it happened two weeks ago, but I thought I would post Paul Johnson's press conference from the Peach State Pigskin Preview held in Macon. I could not find the press conference for Mark Richt. If you got it please send a link over.

Monday, June 28, 2010

All the World Cup fever (and bad officiating) got me thinking of how SEC Football teams relate to World Cup teams. Some are easier comparisons than other, but I saved the best one for last.

Alabama - BrazilBoth teams have won the most titles in their sport. Both teams have had an iconic figure in the sport. Both have rabid fan followings who care about more than just the score, but also how you win.

Florida - ArgentinaBoth teams have won multiple championships. Both have had an iconic player who used God in some way to win a championship. Both have had arguably the best player of the last decade.

LSU - ItalyBoth teams have had big success on the world stage. Both were disappointing in their recent big events. Both have had some luck in winning their most recent championship.

Georgia - NetherlandsBoth are usually right there in the thick of things, but usually fall short. Both are sometimes forgotten when it comes to the elite, but really shouldn't be. Both teams do better when less is expected of them.

Auburn - SpainBoth have had success, but are still chasing the ultimate prize. Both can score a lot, but have trouble sometimes stopping the other team.

Tennessee - GermanyBoth teams have limited built in advantages, but have been strong historically. Both are young right now, but the future looks bright.

Arkansas - PortugalBoth teams have one great player. Both teams are not consistent participants on the highest level, but once a while come up to bite you.

Ole Miss - FranceBoth were disappointing in their most recent big events. For both sometimes it is more about the atmosphere and ambience than the actual play.

Miss State - MexicoBoth have great home field advantages using various methods. Both have trouble getting their program beyond a certain point.

Kentucky - United StatesBoth would really rather be playing other sports, but once in a while make a run and capture the imagination of the fan base.

Vanderbilt - Host NationBoth teams you want to see do well, but usually don't.

South Carolina - EnglandBoth have rabid fan bases who come back year after year despite lackluster results on the big stage. Both teams have had great individual talents, but never seem to put it all together. Both have famous coaches who thus far have not gotten them to the promise land.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Baseball is down to its final four at the College World Series in Omaha with Clemson and South Carolina battling for a spot in the championship series.

The Gamecocks beat the Tigers 5-1 on Friday night to force a deciding game in the double-elimination bracket. That win also evened the season series at 2-2.

Neither team has ever won a national championship in baseball, but both are no strangers to the College World Series. Clemson is making their 12th CWS appearance all time and 6th under skipper Jack Leggett. South Carolina is making their 9th CWS appearance all time and 4th under Ray Tanner.

This isn't the first time these two teams have met for a championship appearance. Back in 2002, Clemson needed just one win over South Carolina to advance, but got routed in two game sending the Gamecocks to the 2002 championship where they fell to Texas.

The winner of Saturday's game will face the winner of TCU-UCLA who are also in a deciding game.

But I got a feeling South Carolina pulls this one off. They have the momentum from last night and postseason history on their side.More Links of Interest:Garnet and Black has an open thread for the gameLeftover Hot Dog has a piece up on how the small state of South Carolina has two teams in the final four of baseball. Wonder why the state of Georgia can't do better, well mainly Georgia Tech.Shakin The Southland has your Clemson take on the battleAnd my friends at The College Baseball Blog have a complete preview up

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

The two players mostly likely to go third overall in Thursdays NBA Draft to the New Jersey Nets matched up on Monday in a private workout.

Judging by the comments from the closed workout, it would appear Kentucky product DeMarcus Cousins outplayed Georgia Tech's Derrick Favors.

Cousins impressed the Nets with his perimeter play, something we did not see in his one year under John Calipari.

"You got a chance to see Cousins step out and shoot the ball, because during the year -- like he should have been -- he was mostly on the block. He shoots it comfortably I think to 20 feet. I don't think that's a struggle for him whatsoever, and he'll probably be able to stretch that as he does it more and gets more repetition."

So says Nets scouting director Gregg Polisnky. The team's famous new Russian owner has said finding a power forward to compliment budding center Brook Lopez is priority number one. Cousins had projected more as a center before the workout, but now could combine with Lopez to form a frontline similar in size to that of the NBA Champion L.A. Lakers.

Of course this could all be posturing by the Nets to take the more athletic Favors who also brings a much better reputation for 'coachability'.

Who would you take if you are the Nets? The more athletic Favors or the more powerful Cousins?

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Arguably the top defensive prospect in the state of Georgia will make a commitment today at 11AM.

James Vaughters of Tucket High School will choose between Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Stanford, and Alabama a list he narrowed to a few weeks ago. He eliminated Florida, North Carolina, Southern Cal, and Texas.

Vaughters commented on each one of those schools in an interview with the AJC at that time. Here are the comments about Tech and UGA.• Georgia: “Georgia is always high on my list because I’m around so many Georgia fans here in Tucker. It’s SEC football, which is seen as the highest stage in the NCAA. And they seem to be looking to get all the top players in Georgia to put together a team that can win a national championship. Their Dream Team concept makes sense to me.”

• Georgia Tech: “Georgia Tech is definitely a very good academic institution. Recently, I’ve moved away from business a little and I really like architecture and that’s engineering. It’s a school that’s close to home. I don’t see it as a problem to be close to my family and some of my friends.”

But the two in state schools have an uphill climb to make in my opinion. Evidently he thinks that Jim Tressel is the most likely of all five head coaches to be at the school his whole career. I wonder where he thinks Paul Johnson or Mark Richt are going?

The Bulldogs have had a pipeline from Tucker to Athens over the last decade from Patrick Pass to Asher Allen and many more. I cannot remember the last time Tech signed a player of significance from the Tucker program.

I think Vaughters final two is Stanford and Ohio State with the Buckeyes being the choice.

AJC will probably have an update on his selection here shortly after the announcement at 11AM. [Updated: It's Stanford]

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The New Jersey Nets, holders of the third pick in the NBA Draft, have convinced the agents of likely top five picks Derrick Favors and DeMarcus Cousins a one-on-one workout could propel their client to the third overall pick.

The Nets liking of Cousins is perplexing considering their current front court state.

“The Nets have a talented young center with Brook Lopezand see Favors fitting into the power forward spot. For Cousins to leap over Favors into the third spot he’ll have to show the Nets a level of agility and perimeter skill to play forward.”

Cousins projects more as a center while Favors as a power forward, so the Georgia Tech product will be at a height and weight disparity.

But Favors bested Cousins in a high school matchup pitting the two teams.

Despite questions on his attitude and work ethic, Cousins will likely not fall below the fifth pick held by Sacramento.

“Cousins had an excellent workout with the Sacramento Kings, grading out as the best shooter to visit Sacramento in the predraft process. He hit 78 percent of his shots in the workout, including a lot of pick-and-pop attempts. Favors graded out as the far better athlete, but the Kings, who have the No. 5 pick in the draft, believed Cousins was a more advanced player.”

Favors is the safer pick in my mind because of work ethic and coachability, but Cousins athleticism combined with his size can be so difficult to find. It is the classic example of a sure thing vs potential.

Jackie Sherrill was on the Paul Finebaum show Monday giving his take on conference expansion and where it all started. You may be surprised by his answer.

Sherrill coached at Texas A&M and had a good winning streak against Texas. He also later coached at Mississippi State leading the Bulldogs to an SEC Championship Game appearance.Jackie Sherrill InterviewFrom 2:30 – 14:00

Friday, June 11, 2010

The Miami Hurricanes and Florida will meet for a best of three series for their right to move onto Omaha and the College World Series. These two teams met for a series earlier in the season with the Gators taking two of three in Miami.

Florida swept their regional with ease last weekend, while Miami needed a game 7 before dispatching Texas A&M.

Miami is going for a 24th College World Series appearance and their 12th in the last 17 years.

Florida’s success is much more recent making its fourth Super Regional appearance all in the last seven years. The Gators are 28-9 on the home field in NCAA Tournament play, but Miami has ended Florida’s season eight different times.

This is one of three ACC vs SEC Super Regional matchups. So far FSU is up 1-0 on Vanderbilt after a 9-8 win today.

The SEC went 2-1 in Regional finals against the ACC. The ACC has a total of 4 Super Regional teams and three are hosting. The SEC has 4 teams as well and is hosting one Super Regional.

Two number two seeds from the Regional tangle in a best of three series this weekend in Clemson for the right to go to Omaha.

Clemson has a slight edge in the batters box hitting .306 on the season vs Alabama’s .298. The Tide’s pitching staff has an ERA of 4.81 while the Tigers are giving up 4.82 runs per nine innings.

Alabama is in its first Super Regional since 2006 and hoping to make their sixth appearance in the College World Series with a win.

Clemson is hosting its fourth Super Regional time and has played in nine of the last 12 Super Regionals. Only Cal-State Fullerton, FSU, and Miami have played in more during that time span. Head Coach Jack Leggett is 36-6 all time in NCAA Tournament homes games. The Tigers are looking for their 12th College World Series appearance.

This is one of three ACC vs SEC Super Regional matchups. The SEC went 2-1 in Regional finals against the ACC. The ACC has a total of 4 Super Regional teams and three are hosting. The SEC has 4 teams as well and is hosting one Super Regional.

1. The Pac 10 adds Utah to make 12 teams. The Big 10 adds Nebraska for 12. And the Big 12 saves itself by adding TCU and Houston to make 12. But…

2. The Big 12’s future all depends on what Texas does. The Longhorns have said they would like to keep the Big 12 intact, but they don’t seem to be doing a whole to make that happen. How about sharing revenue equally to start with?

3. So where is Texas’ next move? Well, the SEC sure is being quiet on expansion which means two things to me: They are planning a huge move that involves Texas and A&M and either the Oklahoma schools or the Florida schools (FSU and Miami) OR They are going to be reactionary and only make a move to 16 if everyone else does. When you are on top you don’t have to make the first move always.

4. I think the second option is the more likely of the two because Texas wants to dictate the control in whatever conference they are in and the SEC will not go along. The Longhorns want their own network and they want a bigger share of revenue than everyone else. The SEC already has a huge deal with ESPN and there is no way Alabama, Florida, and the rest of the league are giving up revenue to get Texas.

5. Of all the teams, poor little Iowa State has the most to lose. Their state is already split between two conferences and they don’t bring much to the table in football or basketball anyways.

One of the nation’s top rated QB recruits and Georgia commit Christian LeMay could miss half of senior season due to a school suspension. Not the news Georgia fans wanted to hear, but there is still a chance LeMay could receive a reduced suspension.

“LeMay is accused of breaking a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' code of conduct rule, which could bring an out-of-school suspension that could last up to 30 days, sources said. He has a hearing Monday at the CMS East Learning Center.

A 30-day suspension would keep LeMay off the field until October. Butler is scheduled to play 11 regular-season games. Seven are before an Oct. 15 game at Ardrey Kell.”

No word from Head Coach Mark Richt yet, though there is precedence with recruit run-ins causing scholarships to be revoked. A few years back LB Dexter Moody was not granted admission to UGA after an incident his senior year thought that incident came on the heels of other concerns.

I highly doubt LeMay will have his offer revoked unless more severe incidents come to light and rightfully so.

You can read the comments on the site if you want more “insight” into supposedly what happened.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

One of the most highly sought after prospects in the state of Georgia has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs according to the AJC.

Nick Marshall chose UGA after being a silent commit to Georgia Tech according to UGASports.com.

Now I am not really sure what a “silent commit” is. I am guessing the player told the coaching staff he wanted to commit, but he did not want the word to get out?

I don’t know why a player would not want to get the word out unless he did not want people to know (i.e. he wanted to continue to be recruited)

Marshall plays QB and DB for state champion Wilcox County, but will play DB in Athens. He is also a highly sought after basketball recruit and wants to play both in college.

Georgia Tech initially made their push with Marshall to play QB, but when it became apparent he wanted to play both sports, they offered as a defensive back. Alabama and FSU had also offered.

UGA really opened Marshall’s eyes when they offered his cousin last year. The Georgia staff knew Lonnie Outlaw did not have the credits to be accepted, but thought he could be a package deal with Marshall and evidently they were right.

Marshall will have a scholarship in football and walk on to the basketball team which should have UGA Basketball head coach Mark Fox very excited; First, Marcus Thornton and now Nick Marshall.

Considering Marshall is also a top notch basketball player, I wonder if Paul Hewitt’s precarious situation at Tech had anything to do with Marshall’s “switch”?

Monday, June 7, 2010

With all the talk of how television money is the driving factor behind expansion talk, some may be forgetting that outside of conference pools schools can negotiate their own local TV rights.

It may come as a surprise to some that the Georgia Bulldogs pull in the most money per year from local TV. UGA has a contract with ISP Sports that will pay them $92.8 million over 8 years; good for $11.6 million per year. The next highest is (the) Ohio State at $11 million per year.

So that means the Bulldogs pull in $28 million, not $17 million from television.

“The top of the SEC does make more than the bottom of the Big Ten, so consider that myth busted.

This makes up an under-reported dynamic of the duel between TV models. Big Ten schools have no game rebroadcast rights to sell, so that's why only two Big Ten schools are on that list. They can only sell coaches' shows and other ancillary content, so only the schools with the two most rabid fan bases rank highly. They have to share revenue from rebroadcasted games with everyone else in the conference. The bottom of the SEC doesn't get such a subsidy, while the top of the conference can negotiate lucrative deals with regional providers.”

All this expansion talk and specifically hand wringing over the Texas schools invited or not invited go me to thinking; Would Georgia lawmakers fight for Georgia Tech to be included in the expansion plans of the SEC?

I find this very interesting because Baylor University is a private school so they get little to no dollars from that state of Texas. But evidently there is enough powerful alumni in the state for the Bears to possibly force the big three’s hands.

A little history lesson…If you remember back to the original Big 12 formation, Baylor was a controversial pick over TCU because the Horned Frogs had more recent success and more tradition in football. But the governor of the state at the time was a Baylor alumna.

Now back to Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets could be an expansion possibility for the SEC or even the Big 10.

Tech has a long history in the SEC being an original member, but left in 1966 with some hard feelings on both sides. When they tried to rejoin in 1978 after 12 floundering years as an independent they were rejected mainly by the Mississippi schools (Bobby Dodd would never play there) and in state rival Georgia. It is fairly safe to say those schools would feel the same way today, especially UGA.

The business of college athletics was not near what it is today and the state of Georgia has become much more cosmopolitan and diverse since then.

But if those hard feelings are still coming from Birmingham, then the SEC could fly over Atlanta where they already enjoy a large market share and go with a Clemson or even a Virginia Tech in addition to the Florida schools. Tech’s athletic programs could be in a precarious position if they are also passed over by the Big 10.

The Yellow Jackets would be stuck as a football school in a basketball dominated conference at a time when the gridiron is grabbing all of the television dollars.

We will have to wait and see if the lawmakers in Texas win out or not, but is brings up again the melting of politics and college athletics again that was so crucial in the early 90s.

Would Georgia lawmakers step in and fight for Georgia Tech’s athletic future? Or would the interests of the dominant University of Georgia win out?

The Yellow Jackets have been here the last two years and have come into a game 7 from both sides. Last season, Tech forced a final game with Southern Miss. In 2008, they were forced into one by Georgia. However, both of the results were the same as Tech was eliminated.

Coach Danny Hall does not think either of those games are a barometer for tonight.

“I don’t know that you take anything (from those previous games),” Hall said. “It’s hard to win a Regional; a lot of good teams. And we’re playing a good team in Alabama, and it just comes down to the fact that you’ve got to perform and play well.” From Macon.com

Hall will be starting Jed Bradley, the Yellow Jackets number 3 starter, tonight.

Alabama will likely go with freshman Taylor Wolfe. Wolfe is a lefty who threw one scoreless inning on Saturday against Tech. During the season, Wolfe started 8 games and went 3-2. The Tide will also likely have another lefty Jonathan Smart available out of the bullpen.

On Sunday, left-hander Adam Morgan pitched a complete game gem to lead Alabama to an 8-1 win. The strong performance allowed the Crimson Tide to save much of their bullpen which could be crucial tonight.

Wolfe is not the best pitcher Alabama has left, but he is the best matchup after seeing Morgan last night and Virginia Tech’s lefty stifle the Jacket bats last week.

Georgia Tech is 21-8 against left-handers on the season, but the last few performances have many fans in Atlanta anxious that another season could end too early.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

A combined 2-5 and 0-3 against the SEC. That was the ACC's performance on Sunday.

Two clubs, Georgia Tech and Clemson had chances to move onto the Super Regionals Sunday, but faltered against the SEC's Alabama and Auburn respectively.

Clemson has to be distraught after holding a 9-8 lead against Auburn going into the 9th, but the Tigers of the SEC rallied with three runs and won 11-9.

Alabama's Adam Morgan threw a complete game gem holding Georgia Tech to just one run. The left hander baffled Yellow Jacket batters all night.

Tech is now 21-8 against lefty starters this year (thanks to AJC for the stat). But do not be surprised one bit if the Tide put out another left hander tomorrow whatever his ERA. Morgan had an ERA of 6.04 coming into tonight.

Thus far, FSU looks like it will be the only team from the ACC to advance to the Super Regionals Sunday (they lead Oregon - live stats here). They will have four chances on Monday (maybe five if North Carolina can pull it out against Oklahoma).

The SEC already has Florida and South Carolina through and will have a chance for four more teams tomorrow.

The South Carolina Gamecocks moved on to the Super Regionals sweeping through the Columbia Regional. Ray Tanner's club defeated Virginia Tech 10-2 Sunday night and will face the winner of the Myrtle Beach Regional which will be either Coastal Carolina or College of Charleston.

South Carolina is making its 26th NCAA Tournament appearance and is going for their ninth trip to Omaha and the College World Series. The Super Regional appearance will be the 8th for the Gamecocks since 2000.

USC was 1-0 against CoC this season, but did not face Coastal Carolina.

The SEC is now 1-0 against the ACC in Regional finals. The two conferences will square off twice on Monday night as Alabama takes on Georgia Tech and Auburn battles Clemson.

Friday, June 4, 2010

One place that should come as no surprise is North Carolina leading the conference with $12 Million of profit for the 2009-2010 season.

Georgia Tech with a relatively small arena and dwindling fan base was very surprising at 4th place. The Yellow Jackets did not even sell out their ACC slate.

But you would have to be shocked that Duke finished 12th with a $2 Million deficit.

It’s all in the accounting.

“Some schools even make their programs look worse. Duke University, a top seed in this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament, reported the largest loss of any men's basketball program last year after years of annual profits in the $4 million to $5 million range. The school said that was due to a shift in revenue to the non-sport specific classification.”

These are estimates and these numbers originally came out during the 2010 NCAA Tournament before Duke won the national title.

Is Larry Templeton. The former Mississippi State AD has the task of pleasing 12 Athletics Directors and their coaches while keeping traditional game dates in check.

Right now, Alabama is not too pleased with their schedule facing six straight opponents coming off bye weeks.

A similar situation occurred in 2008.

“The open date sticking point has been a problem the last two of the last three years. In 2008, Tennessee played four SEC games against teams that had open dates the week before they played the Vols, and went 1-3 against those teams (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Kentucky)”

Templeton is already working on future schedules hoping to avoid the bye week issue.

“He's already given them a rough draft of schedules that show no SEC team will play more than three conference foes that had open dates before playing that team.”

But that may be difficult with certain games tied to certain weekends and certain times of the year. And of course there is always TV influence.

“"We've got a lot of television entities to try and meet the needs for our new television packages," [Mike] Womack said, "so we'll look at all those kinds of things to try and make the schedule as fair and equitable as it can be."

“Nineteen televised games in the first three weeks of the season, including 10 national exposures, headline the early-season football television schedule announced Thursday by Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford.”

The ACC got pretty creative with their scheduling this year to maximize the first weekend getting two games on Labor Day where they had ESPN’s highest rated game of the season last year Miami-FSU.

“The ACC concludes the weekend with a rare Labor Day doubleheader with Maryland hosting Navy on Labor Day Monday at 4 p.m. at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., and Virginia Tech facing Boise State in an 8 p.m. game at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. Both games will be nationally televised by ESPN.”

Week 3 may be an odd TV selection to some with Georgia Tech and UNC facing off at Noon while Duke gets the prime afternoon slot.

“In addition to the national exposures, Duke will host defending national champion Alabama on Sept. 18, in a game which will be regionally-televised by ABC at 3:30 pm.”

But ESPN/ABC jumped at the chance to get Alabama on since CBS will very likely gobble them up the rest of the season.

Rest of the game times to be announced during the season with a 12 day window.